RALEIGH -- If it was Ray Whitney's last game at the RBC Center for the Carolina Hurricanes this season, his last time before the home fans, he gave 'em one to remember.
Whitney dazzled, scoring a pair of goals and assisting on another Saturday as the Canes hammered the New Jersey Devils 5-2 to push their winning streak to five games.
After the two-week break for the Winter Olympics, after the trade deadline in early March, Whitney may well be playing for another team. With his experience, his skills, his savvy, the veteran winger is considered one of the players most desirable by teams hopeful of making a run at the Stanley Cup.
Whitney brushed aside any questions about a potential trade after the game. Asked about waving to the crowd as he took the ice after the game, after being named the first star, he said simply that he always did it, that he was waving to his family, that there was nothing symbolic about it.
"He played very well," Canes coach Paul Maurice said. "He's a very competitive player, a very smart player. He's a very special player."
Not that Whitney was the only star. Jussi Jokinen also had two goals and an assist, again proving he should be going to Vancouver with the Finnish Olympic team rather back to Finland for the break.
Zach Boychuk, recalled Saturday from the Albany River Rats of the AHL, scored his first NHL goal. Goaltender Justin Peters, in his second NHL start - first at the RBC Center - picked up his second victory, while besting his one-time role model and hockey hero, the Devils' Martin Brodeur.
Brodeur? He didn't make it through the game. After the Canes took a 4-0 lead early in the third period, he was lifted for Yann Danis and later stormed to the locker room.
Boychuk, whose first-period score came on a tumbling backhander, said he joked before the game that he had been saving his first goal for Brodeur. Sure enough ...
"It felt really good, to do it on a world-class, probably Hall of Fame goalie like that," he said. "It's funny it went that way and I finally got the monkey off my back."
The Canes led 1-0 after the first after killing off three penalties. They dominated the second as the Devils took undisciplined penalties - hooking, holding, high-sticking, elbowing.
Whitney scored on a 5-on-3, one-timing a pass from Eric Staal, who had two assists. His second power-play score came exactly a minute later when he crashed the net, knocking in the rebound of a Tim Gleason shot for his 19th goal.
"Our penalty kill was critical at the start, and the power play kicks in when we had the opportunities," Maurice said. "Our goaltending was real good. When you get those three things you're going to win games."
Peters had 34 saves in beating the New York Islanders in his first NHL start. He had 23 against the Devils, losing his shutout bid on Zach Parise's goal at 7:26 of the third.
Brian Rolston, who had one third-period score disallowed, scored a power-play goal at 17:02 to make it a 4-2 game.
But Jokinen, who extended his point streak to nine games, scored an empty netter. Jokinen's first goal came on a one-timer early in the third after Whitney adroitly kept the puck in the zone and made the perfect setup pass.
In the last week, the Canes have traded away two veterans, defenseman Niclas Wallin and then center Matt Cullen on Friday. There could be more, including Whitney, who change sweaters on March 3, the trade deadline, a day after Carolina's game at Toronto.
But for now, the Hurricanes go into the Olympic break having won nine of their last 11 games and six straight at the RBC Center. The five-game winning streak has come with goaltender Cam Ward out with a back injury.
"We've played well for a couple of months," Whitney said. "Again, 14 games early in the season put us where we are."
The Canes' 14-game winless streak in October and early November, that is. It's been an uphill battle all season.
"Obviously, I don't like when this break is coming for our team," Jokinen said. "We're playing good hockey. Let's hope in a couple of weeks we'll get back and we'll keep going the same way."
Regardless of who's in those Hurricanes' sweaters.
